Manga and Cyberpunk

[Kendall]

Why do you think Cyberpunk and Japanese manga share such similar traits in terms of themes, settings, and aesthetics?

I want this disscusion to be free form and open to debate.

[Bryan]

Cyberpunk as a sub genre had its genesis in the latter years of the 70's and this was at a time when Japan was begin to assert its technological dominance over the West. It was seen as a place where the future already existed, and select pieces of it appeared overseas in the form of miniature consumer electronics.

See this Wired article by Chris Anderson from 2001 for a good overview of the phenomena: https://www.wired.com/2001/09/japan/

It discusses the Japan versus Japan as metaphor trope.

Now for your question, I think Cyberpunk and manga share similar traits because while cyberpunk is a literary genre appreciated by Westerners that are a bit tech obsessed, this may be closer to the average reader of manga in Japan - ie, it's the same audience (or close enough).